Lightning strikes cut short CFJ Nationals
by Andy Kopetzky on 30 Jul 2014
CFJ Nationals Winners Sean Segerblom and Briggs D'Eliscu bow #29 - CFJ Nationals Virginia Howard
Santa Monica Bay hosted the CFJ Nationals the weekend of July 24-27. Del Rey Yacht Club hosted the series, which featured over sixty boats. With Cal Yacht Club hosting the Optimist Nationals close by, there were over three hundred fifty kids on the water and close to three hundred dinghies off Santa Monica Beach.
The racing was cut short on Sunday when rain and thunderstorms appeared and all races were abandoned about two o'clock.
Tragedy struck when a twenty-year old man was hit by lightning at nearby Venice Beach and could not be revived. Witnesses said the fatal strike occurred less than two hundred yards from the Del Rey Y.C. race committee boat as it was towing kids back to Marina Del Rey. Fortunately all participating boats, support boats and kids returned without injury.
Newport Harbor Yacht Club's Sean Segerblom and Briggs D'Eliscu rattled off four bullets for a total of 23 points for the series win.
Del Rey Yacht Club's Chris Weis and Dot Obel were second with three firsts, including a first place in the last (tenth) race and a total of 37 points.
Newport Harbor and Del Rey Yacht Clubs' racers came in third and fourth, respectively, with Campbell D'Eliscu and Megan Roach coming in third and Roberto Stevens and Annika Garrett taking fourth.
